Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Model Notification of Rights under FERPA  for Elementary and Secondary Schools 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years  of age ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights are:  (1) The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the  School receives a request for access.  

Parents or eligible students should submit to the School principal [or appropriate school official] a  written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The School official will make  arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records  may be inspected.  

(2) The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible  student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.  

Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the School to amend a record should write the School  principal [or appropriate school official], clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and  specify why it should be changed. If the School decides not to amend the record as requested by the  parent or eligible student, the School will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise  them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding  the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a  hearing.  

(3) The right to privacy of personally identifiable information in the student's education records,  except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.  

One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with  legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the School as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement  unit personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the School has  outsourced services or functions it would otherwise use its own employees to perform (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.  

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education  record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.  

Upon request, the School discloses education records without consent to officials of  another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled if the disclosure  is for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer. [NOTE: FERPA requires a school district to make a reasonable attempt to notify the parent or student of the records request unless it states in its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request.]  

(4) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by  the School to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that  administers FERPA are:  

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202